Salem’s 250th Anniversary Campaign
Together We Will Ensure Our Future
In our 250th year, we celebrate and embrace opportunity as a community and as an educational institution.
A new, transformative vision and strategic plan for Salem’s future has been created—a future that includes a bold, focused approach to education both for the Academy and the College, an emphasis on preparing women leaders across their lifespans, and preserving the best of our historic campus while providing our students the experiences and environment in which to grow and thrive in exceptional and varied ways.
Dear Alumnae, Parents, and Friends,
When we think of Salem, we think of the people, we think of the place, and we think of all that we learned during our time there. Both Salem Academy and College are forging bold pathways for women in a global network that needs their knowledge and unique skills as much as their adaptability and ability to inspire and persuade. We also want our students to be healthy, confident leaders as they create a more equitable world around them. The world is beckoning for change, and Salem is listening.
In honor of our 250th Anniversary, Salem is marking this milestone with a $12.5 million campaign to support the foundation of Salem’s spirit—current and future students, the programs that will launch them into successful careers, and the places where this exceptional education takes place.
I am proud to lead this effort as Campaign Chair, and I hope you will join me in supporting Salem during this milestone year. On these pages you will see the campaign priorities and projects. The quiet phase of this campaign launched in July 2021, and in that time Salem has seen tremendous support from alumnae, friends, and foundations. I’m thrilled to share that to date we have raised more than $8.8 million towards our $12.5 million goal. Now, we ask for your help to move Salem to the finish line. Our fundraising efforts will continue alongside our 250th Anniversary celebratory events through December 31, 2022. I hope you will join me in making a gift to Salem today. Thank you for the many ways you support Salem.
Sincerely,
Mary Davis Holt A’68, C’72
250th Anniversary Campaign Chair
Salem Academy and College
The IMPORTANCE of PEOPLE...
Ensuring access to education is core to our identity, our spirit, and our $500,000 / $500,000 mission. To attract top students, Salem must invest in the students who will one day initiate change to make the world a better place. At both the Academy and the College, the 250th Anniversary Scholarships will help attract top students of merit and talent regardless of their ability to afford a Salem education. The availability of scholarships and financial assistance ensures that our top prospects—students who could go anywhere—choose to bring their talents to Salem. Scholarships truly transform the lives of students.
- At Salem Academy, annual fees for a seven-day boarding student are $50,500; annual fees for a five-day boarding student are $42,500; and annual fees for a day student are $26,500
- 97% of Salem Academy students receive some type of aid, whether merit- or need-based
- At Salem College, annual fees for a residential student are $43,562; annual fees for a day student are $31,016
- 96% of Salem College students receive some type of aid to attend Salem, whether merit- or need-based
The POWER of PLACE...
Innovative curricula and promising initiatives cannot stand alone in the absence of efficient and modern space, exceptional faculty, and required resources. Salem is mapping out plans to better equip students and faculty with the spaces and resources they need to flourish.
The Rondthaler-Gramley House has held many important roles in our history, for Salem’s educational community as well as the greater Winston-Salem community. The RG House is now ready for transformation into a Center for Leadership that will continue to inspire future generations of women.
Renovation efforts will include:
- Renovation of first floor into seminar rooms and meeting spaces, with updated restrooms and catering kitchen
- Renovation of second floor into two apartments for visiting leaders in residence and guest lecturers
- Refinishing of floors, new paint, carpet, furnishings, and art
- Upgrade of windows, doors, and molding
- Paint and repair of exterior siding and trim
Residence life is a formative part of the Salem experience. Reception rooms or common spaces and kitchen areas in Salem’s historic residence halls are due for renovation and refreshing. These spaces serve many functions for our students—as meeting rooms for organizations and clubs, study spaces for individuals or groups, and gathering spaces for the social interactions. “The joy of comradeship is here.”
Renovation of these areas will include:
- Repairs and painting
- Updated kitchens
- Abundant lighting
- New furnishings and art
- Charging stations
For Salem Academy students, Babcock Hall is the center of their educational experience. The ground floor lounge and kitchen of Babcock form the heart of the Academy experience for students—as a meeting room for organizations and clubs, a place for students to spend time between classes, study spaces, and gathering spaces for the social interactions. This vital space is due for renovations and refreshing. “The joy of comradeship is here.”
Updates to this area will include:
- Repairs and painting
- Updated kitchen
- Abundant lighting
- New furnishings and art
- Charging stations
From 1940s May Courts, Academy Graduations, Founders Day Convocations, College Commencements, Academy math classes, impromptu student picnics, or merely a quiet space to reflect and study, the May Dell has been the site of many alumnae and student gatherings. Everyone has a special memory of the May Dell where “thy virgin trees stand tall.”
Restoration of this beautiful setting will include:
- Repair and preservation of the original brick stadium seating
- Cleaning and preservation of stone stairways and retaining walls
- Repair of the stone bridges and original wellhouse
- New permanent stage with electricity, sound, and a protective shell
The IMPACT of PROGRAMS…
Salem Academy and College are forging bold pathways for women and girls in an increasingly interconnected world where strategic and creative leadership, along with knowledge and technical skills, forms the strongest foundation for effecting positive change.
The Leader in Residence program will bridge the curriculum and co-curriculum by inspiring and engaging students, promoting and supporting active exchange of ideas among the campus community.
This program will include:
- A renowned Leader in Residence on campus for fall and spring programs
- A mentor/resource to help students better understand opportunities and challenges in their academic and professional journeys
- Presentations in relevant classes and co-presenting with faculty
- A keynote public lecture each year
- Guiding Salem Scholars in setting goals and providing mentorship
- Collaborating with faculty on current issues in education
- Hosting workshops for classes and student organizations at the Academy
When art, design, writing, and history merge with science and technology, innovation occurs. Students who have experience in the humanities and creative arts become better innovators, problem solvers, and collaborators. With access to a Makerspace Innovation Lab, Salem Academy and College students can design, create prototypes, and explore “what happens now” in their creations. In a Makerspace Innovation Lab, community members can take their visions from the dream and the screen to reality.
Funding for a Makerspace Innovation Lab will include:
- An innovative director who can inspire, teach, and facilitate
- Flex space for creation, collaboration, design, and testing
- Equipment ranging from low tech (hand and machine tools and sewing machines, etc.) to high tech (CAD software and laser cutters, etc.)
In addition to these campaign priorities and projects, the unrestricted Academy Fund and unrestricted College Fund remain essential for Salem.
Your gifts to these Funds are vitally important to support the operating expenses of the Academy and College.